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The Pindar Field Dinner Series started a new school year with a new name and a new effort to include all ages. Eleven dinners are planned for 2013-14 with six of the dinners being held for the under-21 students and some of the dinners planned for “themed” gatherings.

May 2, 2014

The last dinner of the semester in the Pindar Student Dinner Series was held at Alumni House on Friday May 2nd. President Biddy Martin joined students to share stories from her past and enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Jeremy Roush and his culinary team from Valentine Hall.

April 11, 2014

Hogwarts School of Wizardry was the scene of the dinner on April 11, 2014. The Alumni House was transformed into several phases of the Harry Potter locations with the 9 3/4 train station entrance and the halls of Sirius Black's House as the foyer. The Mead Art Museum lent many austere portraits of stodgy old men to recreate the family house of the notorious Black family. Dementors and golden snitches shared the upper air, and the long trestle style tables of Hogwarts depicted the daily gatherings of the Hogwarts' students. The menu was straight out of the novels and the students received jelly beans and chocolate frogs to enhance the "golden snitch" dessert.

March 28, 2014

The fourth dinner of the semester featured Professor David Ratner, speaking on the Vietnam draft era and his experiences therein. The dinner was hosted by the Alumni House and catered by Chef Jeremy Roush and the Valentine catering staff.

March 14, 2014

Preceded by a short discussion by Professor Tekla Harms and concluded by Chef Jeremy Roush, the March 14th student dinner was located in the Alumni House and provided an opportunity for Amherst College students to participate in a formal dinner similar to those many will be called upon to attend in their professional lives.

February 28, 2014

Martha Umphrey, Amherst College Professor of Law, Jurisprudence and Social Thought was the speaker at February 28th's student dinner. Professor Umphrey's research and teaching revolve around the intersections between law and culture. Professor Umphrey spoke about her early days and the time she spent in the fishing industry in Alaska.The professor's talk was augmented by exceptional dinner courses prepapred by Jeremey Roush and his staff from Valentine Hall.

February 7, 2014

Elizabeth Aries, the Clarence Frances 1910 Professor in Social Sciences, was the speaker on this winter night's dinner. Professor Aries spoke about her experience as one of the first women to teach at Amherst College; her arrival date was 1975. Her talk focused on the differences between the 70's and the current campus climate in regards to gender, ethnic and religious differences. Jeremy Roush and his staff from Valentine Hall stunned the audience with a delightful, chocolate themed meal.

December 6, 2013

Cullen Murphy ’74, chairman of the Board of Trustees at Amherst College, free-lance writer and editor at Vanity Fair spoke at Lewis Sebring on this dark and rainy night. We had a fulll house as Murphy recounted his early days at Amherst with his initial goal of pre-med and the steps he encountered on his way to being a writer.

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November 15, 2013

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Lewis Sebring was the dinner location for this event, and virgin cosmos and venison were the features on the menu. The students had the opportunity to hear Kim Townsend, the Class of 1959 Professor of English, Emeritus speak about his new manuscript. The students were regaled with comments on the years of President William Ward. Townsend commented that it was okay for a professor to be arrested on a “sit-in,” but it was not so acceptable to have the president arrested.

October 25, 2013

Frank Couvares, the E. Dwight Salmon Professor of American Studies, addressed the Alumni House gathering on Oct. 25.Couvares spoke about the early days of Chapel Talks and how the college has changed. His final message encouraged the students to find their personal passion. Photographs from this event can be viewed here.

October 4, 2013

The Fieldhouse at Pratt Field was the location for the second dinner, and the first dinner for the “under 21” students here at Amherst College. Economics Professor Jun Ishii spoke about the 2002 Donald Rumsfeld speech including the famous quote...“there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns—there are things we do not know we don't know.” Ishii brought the quote into an everyday context with a variety of modern illustrations. Amherst College Executive Chef Jeremy Roush spent time talking about the menu and visited with all of the students to take questions.

September 20, 2013

The first dinner was held on the Roof Top Terrace of the Lord Jeffery Inn with Professor Frederick Griffiths, the Class of 1880 Professor in Greek and Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies.

Professor Griffiths addressing the students on “Rejection.” His talk focused on a manuscript that he and a colleague submitted for publishing and he detailed the trials of publication. Lord Jeffery Inn General Manager Robert Reeves spoke about the local food sourcing and the wines that were selected to go with each course.
See photos.